Collecting electrode



March ll, 1958 c. w. BYERLY l2,826,262

COLLECTING ELECTRODE Filed'March 9, liee;`

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ATTORNEY United Sttes Patent COLLECTING ELEcrRoDE Carl W.Byerly, Bound'llrook, N. J., assigner to Research- Cottrell, lnc.ridgewater Township, Somerset County, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 9, 1956, Serial No. 570,491

6 Claims. (Cl. 18S-7) The present invention relates to electrical precipitator collecting plates and more particularlyl and specifically to a new and improved collecting plate structure. and method of assembly which has a unique gas ilow baille structure serving to produce new and useful results in the electricalA precipitation art.

The construction and operating characteristics of collecting plates utilized in electrical precipitators determines the efiiciency of performance, and maximum efoiency isy obtained through provision of collecting plates having ,the optimum electrical and gas ow properties.

lt is recognized that proper gas ow characteristics along a collecting plate within a precipitator tends toprevent particle erosion on the plate thus continually, maintaining high eihciency of precipitation` operation.- Also, the sparking voltage characteristics as well as characteristics of reaction to high-resistivity dusts are of principal importance in providing the. most ehcient collectingplate construction.

A general `object kof the present invention is to provide av collecting` plate construction for electrical precipitators, together with a method of assembling or constructingrthe same which provides a plate having the necessary basic and' fundamental factors. for maximum eiciency in operation.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a collecting plate construction for use in electrical precipitators. which enables the maintenance of stagnant gas zones in. close adjacency to the plate surfaceswithin Athe gas treating area ofthe precipitator thereby reducing particle erosion on the plate, surfaces while maintaining uniform corona current. densities and. fields of maximum potential-adjacent the plate surfaces.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a new and' improved collecting plate construction for electricalprecipitators which` incorporates a novel baille structurer which results in the improved .gas flow cha-racteristics herinbefore described thereby eliminating detrimentalscrubbing and erosion of collecting plate surfaces by gas ilowing` therealong.

A still further object of this invention lies in` the provision of a new and improved collectingk plate construction `for electrical -precipitatorsrwherein it isl possible to utilize lighter plate assemblies than have been heretofore possi-blexwhile maintaining a maximum plate stiffness throughtheunique baftlearrangements provided in the plate.

It is@ another object-ot'this invention vto providea'compostef collecting plate withinan electrical precipitator `whichris readilyand inexpensivelyfabricated from aplurality of identical, interchangeable sections positioned in cooperative intertting relationship within the precipitator.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a collecting plate for electrical precipitators of the structural arrangement hereinabove described which enables substantial improvement in the alignment and the establishment of proper electrical clearances between the charg- 2 ing and collecting components of the precipitator thereby increasing the efficiency of precipitator operation.

Yet another object and advantage of the present in- Vention is thev provision of newl and improvedcolleeting plates for electrical precipitators which are inherently less expensive in manufacture andinstallation than convene tionalecllecting plate structures.

Additional objects and advantages of' they instant invention will become readily evident tothose skilled in` the art upon reading the following generall statement and description in the light of the drawings appended. hereto'.

The nature of the present invention mayA be stated: gen erallyl as relating to a new and improved collecting plate for electrical precipitators which comprises a plurality of iden-ticalv rectangular panel sections, each panel section consisting of` al rectangular plate having a right angular crimped channel formed inwardly ofl one face of the section longitudinally thereof in spaced relationship to one longitudinal edge and a second right angular crimped channel'formed-inwardlyy of theA opposite face and extend ingvlongitudinalliy-f of; the` section in parallel spaced relationshipinwardlyy of' the second. longitudinal edge of the section, alternate sections longitudinally ot the plate being positioned withf adacent oppositely extending crimped channels: in lateraltregistry whereby hollow baffles are providedi in` spaced relationship along said` pla-te each extend-ing,longitudinally"of theV length of said plate Referringfnowt'of the accompanying. drawingsI in which vlike numerals: designa-te: similar: parts through-'the several views i thereof:

Fig. l isa side elevation of a collecting plate constructed in accordance' with the present invention'.

Fig. 2- anend elevation ofthe plate illustratedE in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section similar to Eig.Y 3.

Fig. 5 is a section similarlto Fig. 4-with the'plate" sections in positions illustrating another method of assembly.

While the accompanying drawings and following description. illustrate af. collecting plate formedof flat, solid sheet plate'tmaterials', it is fully contemplated and anticipated thatperforated, dimpled or` corrugatetlsheet material could be used without departing trom the spirit of the present invention and there are to be noli'mitations implied herein beyond the requirements of the clair-ns hereinafter appended and the prior art.-

There isillustrated in' Fig. l of the drawingsa collecting plate generally designated at 10 for utilization as a colllecting electrode within an electrical precipitator ofthe type utilized in the `precipitation of -ue gases'. The` collectingl electrode plate 10, which is normally mounted vertically within the gas pass of the precipitat'or, consists of a` plurality of identical interchangeable panel sections 12 which are secured in cooperative intertitting relationship `to form a composite collecting plate unit.

Each of the component panel sections of the collecting plate consistswof a flat rectangular plate 14 which is provided with a pair of right angular crimped channels 16 and 18 extending longitudinally of the plate each. in spaced/relationship inwardly fromthe opposite longitudinal edges thereof, `and each' channel being crimped to project linoppositeldirections` from the plane of the plate, and each opening from opposite faces ofthey plate.

Aszisbestseen` in Figs. 3-and4, each of the crimped channels 16 and 18 are formed by upsetting a portion 20 of the panel section plate perpendicularly to the plate surface at a spaced distance inwardly from the adjacent longitudinal edge of the plate to provide an angular projection 22 from the extermity of the perpendicular portion 20 inwardly to the normal plane of the plate surf/ace,

2,@ 3 Likewise, it is readily seen that the crimped channels in each section are formed in opposite faces of the plate, in spaced relationship laterally of the plate.

A plurality of crimped plates 12 are assembled into the novel collecting electrode as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 by aligning opposed channels and spot welding opposed plates one to another to form an electrode of the desired length.

Another method of fabricating a composite collecting plate from a plurality of the panel section plates 12, as illustrated in Fig. 5, consists of positioning a series of said plate sections on end in edge-to-edge relationship and then moving adjacent edges of adjacent plate sections into overlapping relationship until the crimped channels on adjacent plate sections are positioned out of registry with the channel portions of successive panel sections in staggered relationship.

When adjacent plate sections are positioned in this manner those fiat surface areas of each plate on either side of the crimped channel of each plate are located in surface-to-surface contact one with the other whereupon they may be spot welded as at 24, or secured together in other suitable manner, thereby providing a rigid composite collecting plate.

It will also be apparent that a collecting plate may be fabricated by combining the methods illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, depending upon the requirements of the particular precipitator installation.

Once a composite collecting plate has been fabricated from a plurality of the component sections 12 elongated stiffening members 26 may be secured longitudinally of the upper and lower edges of the plate forming a frame for connection to conventional support members within the gas passage of the precipitator construction. Additionally, it is possible to secure a plate member 28 to one end of the collecting electrode plate for cooperation with conventional rapping apparatus (not shown) to provide for the dislodging of precipitated materials from the surfaces of the collecting plate 10. Further, end attached brackets 30 may be provided on the collecting plate construction 10 for the non-rigid suspension of the plate 10 within a precipitator in accordance with conventional practices.

From the foregoing description, and from the illustrations of the accompanying drawings, it can now be seen that a composite collecting electrode is fabricated from a plurality of identical interchangeable members which when assembled as described provide a collecting electrode plate having a plurality of baffles formed therein by the cooperating crimped channels 16 and 18, said baffles serving to form a lightweight stiffening frame for the plate and at the same time, and most important, providing improved gas liow patterns and characteristics along the horizontal length of the plates in the precipitator. The baffle constructions provided will create stagnant gas zones immediately adjacent the plate surfaces preventing particle erosion of the plate surface while at the same time maintaining gas flow characteristics with inherently efficient corona current densities and high potential fields.

It is also evident from the foregoing description that the construction and fabrication of a collecting plate in the manner described enables the preselection of bafiie spacing and baie dimension in accordance with known requirements in the art for the most efiicient operation of a precipitator wherein it is recognized that there are specific requirements of baffle spacing relative to plate and discharge electrode spacing in the assembly of the treating apparatus within the precipitator.

Thus from the foregoing itis seen that new and unique collecting plate constructions and methods of fabrication are provided which result in the accomplishment of new and improved functions in precipitator operation and enable the maintenance of increased efliciencies in such operations.

Having thus described and explained the present invention and setting forth the manner of accomplishment of the objects and advantages heretofore set forth, what is desired to be claimed is:

l. An electrical precipitator collecting plate electrode comprising a flat plate formed of plural panel sections secured with adjacent edge portions in overlapping relationship, bafiles extending in parallel spaced relationship in one direction of said plate, said baiies being formed by oppositely opening angular channels formed in the overlapping portions of adjacent panel sections which register one with the other throughout their lengths each of said baies comprising a base portion extending normally to the extended surface of the collecting plate and to the direction of gas tiow, and a leg portion sloping inwardly and upstream from the extended edge of the base portion to the collecting plate, thereby providing baffle structures projecting into the gas stream and presenting a sloping face upstream and a substantially perpendicular face downstream of the gas flow, the bafiies in opposed plates being positioned in opposed parallel relationship.

2. A collecting plate electrode of the construction delined in claim l wherein said baffles are of substantially equilateral triangular configuration in cross section with the apex portions of each batiie along said plate extending in the same direction of the plate.

3. For use in an electrical precipitator, -a collecting plate electrode comprising a plurality of like panel sections, each panel section consisting of a flat surfaced sheet provided with oppositely opening angular channels therein each extending longitudinally adjacent one of the opposed longitudinal edges of the sheet, and said panel sections being arranged and secured in substantial edge to edge alignment with adjacent edge portions of adjacent panel sheets overlapping one another to such an extent as to position the adjacent channels within the overlap of the sheets each of said channels comprising a base portion extending normally to the extended surface of the collecting plate and to the direction of gas flow, and a leg portion sloping inwardly and upstream from said extended edge of the base portion to the collecting plate, thereby providing right triangular channel structures projecting into the gas stream and presenting a sloping face upstream and a substantially perpendicular face downstream of the gas ow, the channels in opposed sheets being positioned in opposed parallel relationship.

4. A collecting plate electrode construction as defined in claim 3 wherein adjacent channels on adjacent sheets are positioned in registry within the overlap of the sheets.

5. A collecting electrode construction as defined in claim 3 wherein said channels take the form of angularly crimped grooves in said panel section sheets, with one wall extending at right angles to the surface of the sheet.

6. A collecting plate electrode construction as defined in claim 3 wherein the channel portions of successive panel sections are positioned in staggered relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,126,135 Van Dorn Ian. 26, 1915 1,541,704 Gies June 9, 1925 2,409,579 Meston Oct. 15, 1946 

